The soft tissues of the mammalian oral cavity are known to exhibit the earliest indications of inflammation. This generalized low level of inflammation may lead to gingivitis and/or periodontitis. Such inflammation is generally believed to be the result, at least in part, by the bacteria present in the oral cavity. Further, oral tissue inflammation can be caused by surgery, localized injury, trauma, necrosis, improper oral hygiene or various systemic origins.
It is generally believed that the cellular components implicated by these diseases and conditions include epithelial tissue, gingival fibroblasts, and circulating leukocytes, all of which contribute to the host response to pathogenic factors generated by the bacteria. Some bacterial pathogens implicated in these oral infections are known although many may remain unknown or uncharacterized. Although the infection by certain types of bacteria is often the etiological event in many of these oral diseases, the pathogenesis of the disease state or condition is mediated by the host response. Use of antibacterial agents reduces the bacterial population of a given oral cavity and may result in a reduction of inflammation. However, this approach is disadvantageous as such killing is accomplished indiscriminately (both beneficial oral bacteria and deleterious oral bacteria may perish) and it is dose and time sensitive.
Bacterial infection of the oral tissue stimulates the host's immune response and diminishes the healing process by up-regulating inflammatory mediators that cause significant tissue damage. These metabolites have been implicated as the prime mediators in gingivitis, periodontitis, osteomyelitis and other inflammatory diseases.
It has been reported that one mechanism of inflammation is mediated through certain transmembrane receptors of mammalian cells. For example, toll-like receptors (“TLRs”), are glycosylated transmembrane proteins and once activated by ligand-induced oligomerization initiate an immune response within the cell, ultimately resulting in the expression of cytokines, interleukins, and other molecules that mediate the state of inflammation.
There is a need in the art for agents and techniques useful in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of such inflammatory effects.